Costco

Francl27

I just found out that a Costco is going to open 5 minutes from my house. I'm so excited about this.

What do you typically buy there? What's a good deal, and what isn't? I typically only buy things on sale at my regular grocery stores so I'm wondering if it's worth it? I went to BJ's for a while but in the end buying on sale at my normal store was cheaper, but it was also 15-20 minutes away, not 5.

jessica22222

I'm in Canada
I buy boxes of frozen chicken breasts
Peanut butter
Cereal
Eggs
Butter
Fruit
Veggies
Olive oil
Spices
Bread (freeze)
English muffins (freeze)
Milk
Cheese

...just about everything! The mark up at Costco is very very low. They make their money on memberships so most things are worth buying there. I do a large once per month shop there, then maintenance shop weekly for little extras the rest of the month.

PaulineNicole_

What to buy:

• Vitamins
• Protein Powder/ Shakes
• Veggies/Salad mix
• Fruit
• Eggs

What not to buy:
Perishables that will go to waste
Note: In my small household of two (just me and my husband) I have fallen into the trap of buying too much at Costco because everything is in bulk and cheep, so food goes to waste. Be careful with buying too much that your family cannot finish.

drdwngfan

The meat and seafood selection is awesome. Great steaks !!!

Graymanstole

Coffee. It's the entire reason I have a Costco membership.

whirlygigs16

I buy all of my non food items there - detergent, dishwasher soap, trash bags, toilet paper , diapers, etc
It's nice to only need to buy these once every couple of months.
I don't pay attention to prices though.

eileen0515

Raw almonds, almond butter, coffee

Ribena145

Their ground turkey is great.....good substitute for ground beef in spaghetti and burgers....also love the Janet & Greta Gourmet chicken burgers - available in Canada, not sure about the States - super easy to make and nutritional good.

peaceout_aly

We are so obsessed with Costco! I used to think it was a load of crap and that nothing could be that good of a deal, but it really is. Ziploc bags, trash bags, cleaning products, paper goods, chicken breast - all stuff that is excellent to stock up on at Costco. I can get double the amount of lotion/shampoo/conditioner for the same cost that I typically would at Walmart. Definitely worth the membership fee. If you get the upper level membership you also get 2% back!

peaceout_aly

Graymanstole wrote: »

Coffee. It's the entire reason I have a Costco membership.

Hahahaha, this is so me.

pfgaytriot

Fruit
Meat
Coffee
Juice
Eggs
Fish oil
Vitamins
Protein powder
Socks
Shampoo and Conditioner
Bacon
Windshield wipers

Well... just about everything. You could even buy a car or a coffin there if you wanted to!

toe1226

I am SO excited for you, Costco is my FAVORITE.

Walnuts, Pecans, Almonds, Pistachios
Turkey Cold Cuts
Turkey Burgers
Salmon, Tilapia
Corn Tortillas
Spring Mix Boxes
Tomatos
Bell Peppers
Sweet Potatos
Egg Whites
Canned Wild Alaskan Salmon (for salads)

...oh thanks you just made my grocery list for me!!!

yayamom3

Their fresh produce is the best (especially avocados)! We also love their hummus. Although not low-cal, their cheesecake is wonderful (and cheap) for a party. Their allergy meds and Ibuprofen are also super-cheap. We also buy coffee, pre-cooked bacon, trash bags, dishwasher tablets. And I've bought my kids lots of cute, brand-name clothes for cheap.

ASKyle

Their house brand individual frozen salmon filets- Great price, easy dinner.
Basil-pesto frozen talapia
Morningstar original veggie sausage patties- They are almost half the price of the grocery store.
Chicken thighs- freeze well
Socks
Any vitamins/meds

ALWAYS grab a $5 rotisserie chicken for dinner! So good!

Also, stop by the cafe thing- $1.65 huge nonfat swirl froyo is always my treat, and bf gets the giant polish dog.

xickel

All of the above, plus clothes and bedding

mygnsac

Like someone above said, watch the produce. I've too often bought it there and it goes bad before I can eat it. Mostly I buy non-perishables and things that you can store in the freezer. Exception is spinach. I do buy their large bucket of spinach there because I go through that stuff like water.

The most common things we buy there are:

• Nuts (almonds, pecans & walnuts) - They come in a large bag, but nuts freeze well
• Fresh spinach - way cheaper than in the grocery stores
• In season fruit
• Frozen fruit (like peaches, cherries, pineapple, blueberries)
• Frozen chicken
• Cereal/Oatmeal/Granola
• Condiments
• Kirkland brand paper towels, toilet paper, napkins and tissue paper
• Cleaning products (dish soap, laundry detergent, fabric softner, etc.)
• Personal products (lotion, shampoo, condition, toothpaste, etc.)
• Over-the-counter meds

The occasional stuff:

• Bedding
• Electronics (radios, tablets, monitor, tv, etc.)
• Photography equipment

We've also occasionally used their pharmacy, and I'm thinking about checking out their optometry section on my next trip.

I also have to remind myself to not go there hungry. Free samples everywhere! The only day of the week I can get out there is Saturday, which is usually crazy-busy, so to beat the crowds I usually get there within an hour after they open.

WalkingAlong

Everything. Almost literally.

Costco coffee fans-- What do you buy? I never know what coffees are good, being new to coffee. I do buy whole beans there and grind them, though. Oh.. or are you getting k-cups?

KellieTru

I buy:
My salmon
Brie (never giving it up!)
Parmesan cheese wedge (huge! Lasts my household 6 months)
Thick bacon in the two pack
Hummus
Coffee
Their brand spices...they used to have a dry seasoning rub that they no longer sell and I'm so sad about that!
Raw mushrooms...great deal!
Pineapple spears
Lettuce
Avocados
Crackers
Frozen chicken breast
Frozen shrimp
Smoked salmon

Queenmunchy

I'm following this thread because between aldi and pricerite I seem to get great prices.

Panda_brat

Fruit, veggies, nuts, greek yogurt, cheese, all sorts of house hold non food items, clothing (good quality fairly cheep since i have to get smaller sizes evrey few months). I love looking around seeing what deals I can get. oh, and almost forgot booze.

zdyb23456

I used to have a Costco membership but switched to Sam's club when there was a groupon making the membership practically free.

I'm a couponer so I tend to get stuff that I can't get cheap with coupons. Stuff like:
Spices
Parmesan and romano cheeses
Romaine hearts
Whole Turkey around the holidays
Flour (for bread baking)
Yeast
Giant bags of chicken nuggets
Rotisserie chicken
Sam's club brand dishwasher tabs
Toilet bowl cleaner
Nuetrogena face wipes
Contact lens solution
Sam's club brand baby wipes

Every month they send out "coupons" for specific items - if they are a good deal for something we eat/use I will get it. Like last month gogurts were on sale so I got 2 boxes. We just bought a big screen tv too - lol

MelaniaTrump

Franc,
Keep the boxes of things like appliances and vacs. They have an amazing return policy if something breaks. I think it was 6 months later. Ask other users. No receipt, but you need the box.

mjwarbeck

To be honest, not a lot. We find that with so many different grocery stores around us in close proximity, we can get prices just as cheap and not have to buy the ridiculous quantities...but you may have to go to different stores in the same week...I like to go grocery shopping so I am at a store 4 or more times a week.

As for fruits and veggies...Costco has such a limited supply of interesting veggies...but it depends on what you are looking for...

AJ_G

Almost everything at Costco is a deal, the catch is you have to buy a lot, which I'm fine with. Surprisingly the boneless skinless chicken breast is actually not that great of a deal from Costco, at least for me, but only because the grocery stores around me have sales regularly where I can get chicken for $1.70 a lb as opposed to Costco where the chicken is $3 a lb. Main staples I get from Costco are cheese, pasta, vitamins, beef/steak. You won't find better deals than Costco for steak. All their cuts are USDA Choice or Prime, and a very good deal.

Francl27

zdyb23456 wrote: »

I used to have a Costco membership but switched to Sam's club when there was a groupon making the membership practically free.

I'm a couponer so I tend to get stuff that I can't get cheap with coupons. Stuff like:
Spices
Parmesan and romano cheeses
Romaine hearts
Whole Turkey around the holidays
Flour (for bread baking)
Yeast
Giant bags of chicken nuggets
Rotisserie chicken
Sam's club brand dishwasher tabs
Toilet bowl cleaner
Nuetrogena face wipes
Contact lens solution
Sam's club brand baby wipes

Every month they send out "coupons" for specific items - if they are a good deal for something we eat/use I will get it. Like last month gogurts were on sale so I got 2 boxes. We just bought a big screen tv too - lol

How much is the flour? Hard to beat king arthur flour at $3.50 for 5 pounds at Target.

mjwarbeck wrote: »

To be honest, not a lot. We find that with so many different grocery stores around us in close proximity, we can get prices just as cheap and not have to buy the ridiculous quantities...but you may have to go to different stores in the same week...I like to go grocery shopping so I am at a store 4 or more times a week.

As for fruits and veggies...Costco has such a limited supply of interesting veggies...but it depends on what you are looking for...

It's what I worry about, I always go to 2 stores for sales.

Jennloella

I don't like the costco brand, but I still buy a ton there. For me it's the convenience of buying in bulk and not 'a deal' I do know some meats and foods are cheaper at safeway and it was different when I was in Cali than in Oregon so you might have to price compare a bit if that's your main reason

Unknown

This content has been removed.

fishshark

costco isnt a good place for me... OMG 300 bags of chips and i will eat all of them... A 30000 pack of gushers!!! i do get meat there sometimes

Strawblackcat

I don't have a membership, but my grandmother does, and her birthday present to me is usually to let me tag along on a shopping trip and pick out what I want. My favorites:

- Their coffee (Kirkland brand roasted by Starbucks -- the one in the green bag)
- The mega-super packs of Kind bars
- The double boxes of Cascadian Farms cereal and granola
- The HUGE bags of quinoa
- Bagged frozen fruit/veggies
- Highlighters and ballpoint pens. Seriously. You may not think about them at first, but one of their packs will last you for years!
- Their organic veggies. I like to get the huge bags of carrots, celery, and onions and cut them up into bags when I get home and freeze them. Then, whenever I want to make soup, I just pull a bag of diced veggies out of the fridge.
- The toilet paper, plastic bags, paper towels, and foil are all great quality at a great price!
- Organic nut butters
- Huge bags of nuts

Also...that $1.50 hotdog + drink with free refills is a really good price if you're hungry! Not to mention the samples!

zdyb23456

Francl27 wrote: »

zdyb23456 wrote: »

I used to have a Costco membership but switched to Sam's club when there was a groupon making the membership practically free.

I'm a couponer so I tend to get stuff that I can't get cheap with coupons. Stuff like:
Spices
Parmesan and romano cheeses
Romaine hearts
Whole Turkey around the holidays
Flour (for bread baking)
Yeast
Giant bags of chicken nuggets
Rotisserie chicken
Sam's club brand dishwasher tabs
Toilet bowl cleaner
Nuetrogena face wipes
Contact lens solution
Sam's club brand baby wipes

Every month they send out "coupons" for specific items - if they are a good deal for something we eat/use I will get it. Like last month gogurts were on sale so I got 2 boxes. We just bought a big screen tv too - lol

How much is the flour? Hard to beat king arthur flour at $3.50 for 5 pounds at Target.

mjwarbeck wrote: »

To be honest, not a lot. We find that with so many different grocery stores around us in close proximity, we can get prices just as cheap and not have to buy the ridiculous quantities...but you may have to go to different stores in the same week...I like to go grocery shopping so I am at a store 4 or more times a week.

As for fruits and veggies...Costco has such a limited supply of interesting veggies...but it depends on what you are looking for...

It's what I worry about, I always go to 2 stores for sales.

I think it's $7 or $8 for a 25lb bag. It's crazy cheap. I go through it fast too. I make about 2 loaves of bread a week and pancakes on the weekends.

I forgot, I also buy rice - 25lbs at a time.

quiltlovinlisa

Trash bags
Kirkland brand dog food (grain free, yam and some kind of meat, they have multiple choices)
before the cat died, cat food and cat litter *sigh*
Clorox wipes
flushable wipes
Kirkland brand toilet tissue
Kleenex
sandwich meats
chicken patties
kirkland all beef hotdogs
protein bars, I like the zone ones
stretch island all natural fruit leather
yogurt
cottage cheese
cheese (shredded cheddar jack, shredded mozzarella and block medium cheddar)
eggs (5 dozen at a time)
quinoa
various clothes depending on the item
spices
pasta
various frozen items
WOOL SOCKS!!!!!!!!
ice
sometimes cereal but it has to be on sale.

Like someone mentioned you have to be careful on produce and stuff that'll go bad. It's a little easier for my family, seven, two adults, two teens and three tweens that eat a LOT. If you have a friend that'll share produce, then it's the way to go. I have someone in town and we frequently split packs of Romain lettuce and other produce we won't go through quick enough.